Israel to release 369 Palestinian prisoners 

Israel is set to release 369 Palestinians tomorrow as part of the sixth batch of the first phase of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, according to Palestinian sources.

In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office, affiliated with the Hamas movement, stated that the released group will include 36 prisoners serving life sentences and 333 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after 7 October 2023.

In exchange, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, announced earlier today the names of three Israeli captives scheduled for release tomorrow.

This comes after Hamas yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the agreement as signed, including the prisoner exchange according to the agreed timeline.

Hamas indicated that mediators from Egypt and Qatar have worked to resolve obstacles caused by Israel’s violations of the agreement, describing the negotiations as “positive”.

These mediation efforts followed Hamas’ decision on Monday to suspend the release of Israeli captives until Tel Aviv ceases its violations and retroactively complies with the humanitarian protocol of the agreement.

The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place in Gaza since 19 January, pausing the Israeli war that has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

READ: Egypt resolves obstacles to Hamas-Israel prisoner exchange deal